Kiwis Win First Ever Wales-NZ Shearing Test

Friday March 6 2009

Kiwis Win First Ever Wales-New Zealand Shearing Test At Golden Shears

NEW ZEALAND shore up a storm to take out the inaugural Welsh-Kiwi test at the world’s greatest shearing contest, the Golden Shears, tonight.

Kiwis John Kirkpatrick and Paul Avery fought a fierce battle with Welsh shearers Gareth Daniels and Nicky Banyon in the first-ever test on New Zealand soil at the Genesis Recreation Centre in Masterton.

Commentator Koro Mullins warned of a determined Welsh challenge as Daniels shore his way to an early lead.

“When they put that red singlet across there heart they become different beings. We’ve seen it in rugby and tonight we’ll see it in shearing,”

“Gareth is really giving it a rumble here tonight,” he said.

But the New Zealand team showed the form which earned them the teams World Championship title in Norway last year.

The Kiwis shore in perfect unison as they hit into the final blows of their third sheep and current Golden Shears Open champ Kirkpatrick gained a lead for New Zealand as he went back to the pen for sheep five.

United Kingdom record holder Beyon was holding out for Wales as Daniels chased Kirkpatrick on sheep six.

“Benyon is from a place called Cardiff where they gave the All Blacks a little curry up a few years ago,” Mullins said.

“But Paul Avery is flying his fleece away and really starting to wind up now.”

The current world champ took over the lead for NZ and held it to finish first on the twelve and final sheep followed by Kirkpatrick, Daniels then Benyon.

The two teams will meet three more times in New Zealand in the test series and Benyon said they’d be back of next year’s 50th anniversary Golden Shears.

“They’ll definitely be a Welsh team here next year…hopefully I’ll get to be the manager,” he said.

The Golden Shears is recognised as the worlds premiere competitive sheep shearing contest, attracting shearers from around the globe, and is regarded as one of New Zealand’s iconic events.

ENDS

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